Energy Balance Approach to

Fracture
Introduction to Fracture Mechanics

load

Griffith Criterion
A

crack length, a
C

2a

crack length, a+da

O

(a)

(b)

elongation

Total Energy Content

In an elastic, remotely loaded cracked plate,

the total energy content is:

U U o U a U F

Total Energy Content

Uo = elastic energy of the loaded uncracked plate (a constant).
Ua = change in elastic energy caused by
crack presence.
U change in elastic energy caused by
the formation of the crack new surfaces.
F = work performed by external forces.

Total Energy Content

Crack growth instability occurs as
soon as U no longer increases with
increasing crack length a.
Thus, instability condition is:

dU
0
da

Instability Condition
total energy, U

instability, dU/da = 0

Variation of U as a function
of crack length, a
Uo

crack length, a

Instability Condition

Differentiating equation for total energy

content and using instability condition
gives:

dU o dU a dU dF

0
da
da
da da

Re-arranging produces,
d
dU
F U a
da
da

Instability Condition
dF/da represents the energy provided by
the work of external forces per unit crack
extension.
dUa/da is the increase in elastic energy
due to the external work dF/da.
Therefore, dF/da dUa/da is the amount
of energy that remains available for
crack extension.

Instability Condition

dU /da denotes the energy required

for the crack growth.
It is customary to denote:

d
( f Ua ) G
da
and called it crack driving force

Instability Condition

The expression,

d
(U ) R
da
is called crack resistance.

Both G and R are expressed as per

unit thickness.

Instability Condition

For the crack to propagate

GR

Using the expression for elastic strain

energy needed to open up the crack
1
U a ( P 2v) Pv
2

Instability Condition

load

2V

displacement, V

Instability Condition

Knowing that crack flank displacement V

under plane stress is:
2
2
2
v
a x
E

Force P may be obtained by summation

of the stress s over the total crack length,
2a.

Crack Flank Displacement

V
x

2
v
a2 x2
E

Instability Condition

The equation for the elastic strain energy is

given in the form:

2
2
2
U a 2
a x dx
0
E
2 2
a

E
a

for plane stress conditions.

Instability Condition

For plane strain conditions:

U a (1 )
2

a
2

Crack Instability

The equations derived are applicable to a

constant load conditions, P = const.
If the edges of the plate are fixed then so
called fixed grips conditions are created.
Introduction of a crack under fixed grips
conditions reduces the plate stiffness and the
load drops.

Fixed Grips & Constant Load

A

load

P1
2(a+da)

2a

P2

B
V

V1
O

V2
F

displacement, V

Crack Instability

Under fixed grips conditions the change in

elastic strain energy, Ua, contained in the plate
is negative and equal to:

U a
for plane stress.

a
2

Crack Instability

change in elastic energy caused by the

formation of the crack new surfaces, U, can
be expressed as:

U 2(2a )

where is specific surface energy in [Nm/m2]

The equation is valid for unit thickness, two
surfaces of length 2a, and central crack.

Crack Instability

For edge crack,

U 2a

The equation is valid for unit thickness, two

surfaces of length a.

Instability Condition

Finally, the instability condition for the case

of plane stress is:
2 2
d
a d
F
4a
da
E da
For fixed grips conditions, the external forces
do not perform work during crack extension
(F=const), therefore dF/da = 0

Instability Condition

Thus, the instability condition for crack

propagation under fixed grips is:

a
2

Crack driving force, G, for fixed grips

conditions,
dU a
G
da

Instability Condition

For the constant load condition, work is

done by external forces, F Ua=Ua, so:
d
dU a
G F U a
da
da

Instability Condition

The physical meaning of the last

equation is that for a constant load
conditions the work delivered by
external forces provides both the
increase in elastic energy contained in
the cracked plate and the energy
required for crack propagation

Expressions for G

In magnitude G (crack driving force) is:

dU a
G
for da 0
da
valid for both constant load and fixed grips.

For edge crack:

For central crack:

Ua
Ua

2 a 2
2E

2 a 2
E

Expressions for G

Plane stress,

dU a
a
G
da
E
2

Plane strain,

dU a
2 a
G (1 )
da
E
2

Expressions for G

Taking into account expressions for U

and the condition for crack propagation,

GR

it is permissible to conclude that

expression for G is the same for both
crack configurations, that is edge crack
and central crack.

The Relation Between G and K

G

a
2

K a

If the expression for K is put into expression

for G, then
(a) plane stress:
(b) plane strain:

K2
G
E
2
K
G (1 2 )
E